4j Differentiation

Workshop- Session 1

Presented by- Elizabeth Hynes, Raquel Gwynn, Kathy Luiten, Marlee Litten,

and Kerri Sage

Goals for Today•Receive an overview of the key

components of differentiation

•Learn about pre-assessment, environment, and content as they apply to differentiated instruction

•Acquire tools to help with differentiation in the classroom

•Collaboration time with colleagues

Norms for Collaborative Work

•Equity of Voice

•Active Listening

•Safety to Share Different Perspectives

Are you ready for blast off?

“To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must

keep on stepping”

Chinese Proverb

Differentiated Differentiated InstructionInstruction

What we call differentiation is not a recipe for teaching. It is not an instructional strategy. It is not what a teacher does when he or she has time. It is a way of thinking about teaching and learning. It is a philosophy.

-Carol Ann Tomlinson

What is What is Differentiation?Differentiation?Differentiation can be defined as a way of teaching in which

teachers proactively modify curriculum, teaching methods, resources, learning activities, and student products to address the needs of individual students and/or small groups of students to maximize the learning opportunity for each student in the classroom.

Differentiation is a way of thinking about teaching and learning that seeks to recognize, learn about, and address the particular learning needs of each student. To that end, teachers use varied approaches to curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Differentiation adapts what we teach, how we teach, how students learn, and how students show what they have learned based on the readiness levels, interests, and preferred learning modes of students.Tomlinson, C.; Brighton, C; Brimijoin, K.; Callahan, C.; Hertberg, H.; Moon, T.;

Canover, L.; Reynolds, T. (2003). Differentiating instruction in response to student readiness, interest, and learning profile in academically diverse

classrooms: A review of literature. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 27 (2/3), pp. 119-145

Table Activity

Highlight key words or phrases that resonate with you

Share out

Why Differentiate?Why Differentiate?The number of English Language Learners in classrooms across the country is increasing. (Center for Immigration Studies, 2001). English Language learners face the daunting task of mastering complex subject matter even as they learn a new language.

The achievement gap for minority learners continues in schools across the country. (Haycock, 2001) Closing the achievement gap and increasing student achievement are a major goals of most school districts in our state.

Special education has moved steadily toward the goal of inclusive instruction for many students with disabilities. (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). This is based on the premise that ALL students are an important part of general education, both benefiting and benefitting from interactions with a wide variety of learners.

Our brightest students may be losing academic and motivational ground in classrooms ill-equipped to ensure that they, like other students, are expected to progress at least a year’s worth in an academic year. (Callahan, et al., 2000)

Video (Susan Bray)

Overview of the Overview of the Impact of Impact of

DifferentiationDifferentiation

What is the readiness level of my students?

Where are they starting from?

Smart Goal

•S- specific, significant, stretching

•M- measurable, meaningful, motivational

•A- agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable

•R- relevant, realistic, reasonable, rewarding, results

•T- timely, time-based, tangible, trackable

Pre-AssessmentPre-Assessment

Unless a teacher uses some form of pre-assessment to make decisions about instruction, students’ levels of readiness, interest, and learning profiles will remain untapped.

-Carol Ann Tomlinson

How is pre-assessment How is pre-assessment different from other different from other

assessments?assessments?Summative Assessments- Assessments OF learning

Formative Assessments- Assessments FOR learning

Pre-assessments- Assessments directing us where to start

Types and Frequency Types and Frequency of of

Pre-assessmentsPre-assessmentsReadiness- Prior to introduction of a new skill set or unit

Interest- One time, usually beginning of the year

Learning Profile- One time, usually beginning of the year

Affect- One time, usually beginning of the year

ReadinessReadiness

Readiness vs. Ability

Readiness levels vary over time, topic, and circumstance

Zone of proximal development

Student self efficacy

General cognitive proficiency

Prior learning and life experiences

Attitudes about school

Habits of mind

Readiness is influenced by:

A student’s knowledge, understanding, and skill related to a particular sequence of learning.

(Tomlinson, 2003)

Learning ProfileLearning ProfileThe ways in which we learn best as The ways in which we learn best as

individualsindividuals

Learning-Style preferences

Intelligence Preferences

Culture-Influenced Preferences

Gender-Based Preferences

The Categories of Learning Profile Factors:

InterestInterest By drawing on existing student

interest:Teachers help students realize that there is a match between school and their own desire to learn.

Teachers demonstrate the connectedness between all learning

Teachers use skills or ideas familiar to students as a bridge to ideas or skills less familiar to them

Teachers enhance student motivation

AffectAffect

Students emotions and feelings

How students feel about themselves, their work, and the classroom as a whole

Positive affect is more likely to support student learning than negative or neutral affect. (Given, 2002; Wolfe, 2001)

“All children can learn” does not mean “all children learn the same.” Furthermore, diversity is not merely about external characteristics. If

we’re really going to take this seriously, that means we start looking at diversity on the inside as well as diversity on the outside.

-Donald Reeves

Pre-assessment Example-

5 Point Scale

(Interest, Learning Profile, and Affect)

Rate Yourselfgoing to the mall

teaching art

teaching math

driving in the snow

getting up in the morning

hearing an argument

riding on a plane

bright lights

not having enough time

having a schedule change

attending a district training

the IIPM model

listening to music

time with your family

being observed

Compare Results

At your table discuss-

What did you have in common?

What was different?

Think how this might also be true for your class

How might you use this in your class?

What might you ask them to rate?

Using Pre-assessments to

build a differentiated class

environment

Components of a Class Environment

Physical and visualFurniture, materials, sensory, wall space, etc.

Routines and expectationsOpening, large group, small group, etc.

AtmosphereSafe, inviting, active learning, respect, etc.

How might you use

information from pre-

assessments to create a

differentiated environment?

Activity-Building a differentiated class

environment

Find your sample class (Class A, B, or C)

Gather materials- poster paper, felt pens, etc.

Overview of activity

Activity- Part 1Physical/Visual

Look at your class description

Draw a physical layout of the room

Furniture and wall items

List materials you would have available

Activity- Part 2Routines/Expectations

List or create examples of specific routines you would establish in your class

List class expectations (may have more than one set based upon activities) that would help support a differentiated classroom

Activity- Part 3Atmosphere

Describe what someone would see when they visited your classroom that would show evidence of:

safety,

respect,

learning, and

inclusion of all students

Followed by our Gallery Walk

and debrief of the activity

BREAK

Gallery Walk Guidelines

Take some post-its and a writing utensil with you

Post comments on displays regarding-

Observed connections to class needs

Questions or clarity needed

Creative ideas that meet student needs

Pre-assessment of Pre-assessment of ReadinessReadiness

ReadinessReadiness

Readiness vs. Ability

Readiness levels vary over time, topic, and circumstance

Zone of proximal development

Student self efficacy

General cognitive proficiency

Prior learning and life experiences

Attitudes about school

Habits of mind

Readiness is influenced by:

A student’s knowledge, understanding, and skill related to a particular sequence of learning.

(Tomlinson, 2003)

What information do What information do we already have?we already have?

EasyCBM benchmark data

Weekly/Unit assessments from the core

OAKS

Teacher observation and work samples

OAKS

EasyCBM Benchmark

Pre-Assessment

Unit Test

State

District

Grade Level

Classroom

Individual

Weekly Test

Examples of Pre-Examples of Pre-assessment for Readinessassessment for Readiness

Entry/Exit Cards

Quick Response

Walk arounds or observational notes

White boards

Walk through your Tool Kit

Pre-assessing Readiness

•Know where you want students to be (clear goals)

•Begin where they are

•Don’t assume that they are low in all areas if they are low in one area

•Keep groupings flexible

Sample Goal/Standard:Goal: To find the perimeter of two-dimensional shapes

3rd gr. Math 3.3- Determine and analyze properties of two-dimensional shapes, including perimeter

What are the nouns? Properties, two-dimensional shapes, perimeter

They tell us what concepts they need to know

What are the verbs? Describe, analyze

They tell us what skills they need to do

What are the verbs? Describe, analyze

They tell us what skills they need to do

Smart Goal

•S- specific, significant, stretching

•M- measurable, meaningful, motivational

•A- agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable

•R- relevant, realistic, reasonable, rewarding, results

•T- timely, time-based, tangible, trackable

Homework

Identify a goal and the supporting standard that you will teach

Pre-assess for readiness

Group students based upon results

Write a brief description of each level based upon a sample student

A differentiated start, based upon assessment of the standards

+Differentiated goals based upon student

growth and the standards+

The use of research based instructional strategies in instruction of the skills

=

STUDENT SUCCESS

Animal school video

Animal school video